Sifu - Review Thread

[Ghost]

Reviews are coming in on Slocap's latest game, SIFU.

 

 

 

 

OpenCritic

 

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ComingSoon.net - 9.5/10

"Sloclap failed with Absolver, but it was all part of the learning process the studio needed in order to get to Sifu. It’s a process that fittingly mirrors the dedication and failure inherent to martial arts and that principle is also realized well within the game. Repeatedly trying the same thing and improving with each defeat is thoughtfully gamified with its unique aging system that pushes its disciples to master its ways and many intricacies. The melee mechanics at the center are also beautifully executed, with fluid controls and an arsenal of useful abilities that result in a consistently engaging combat experience. Sifu knocks its players down with little remorse but also makes getting back up and overcoming obstacles immensely rewarding." (Full review)

 

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ZTGD - 9.5/10

 

However, the fantastic gameplay, the beautiful graphics, and the amazing soundtrack just to name a few things make this an enjoyable experience. That being said, if you are not a fan of difficult games, I’d recommend renting this one first if possible because it is an extremely difficult game at the outset and will require a grind to be successful. But if that doesn’t bother you in the slightest, then come on in; the dojo is all set up. (Full review)

 

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But Why Tho? - 9.5/10

 

Sifu is surprisingly difficult, at a level that will deter most players. However, getting past that wall will reward you with an amazingly crafted game that stays true to the developer’s vision, one that celebrates kung fu and its core meaning. (Full review)

 

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Gaming Nexus - 9.5 / 10.0

 

Sifu is the epitome of a well-made martial arts video game that infuses cultural storytelling, brutal combat and a dash of roguelike. With its beautiful art direction, excellent soundtrack, and immaculate attention to detail, it is sure to rivet the attention of anyone interested. (Full review)

 

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GamesRadar - 9/10
 

Sifu is a gorgeous, original and intelligent brawler whose self-confidence is leveraged by its masterful ageing mechanic and super tight combat. (Full review)

 

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IGN - 9/10

 

Sifu's brutal learning curve and unique structure that requires you to beat it in just one lifetime are significant barriers to overcome, but on the other side is truly one of the best modern action games around. (Full review)

 

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Gamespot - 9/10

 

Sifu's unique aging mechanic and top-tier combat make the journey from a headstrong student to a wise kung fu master utterly thrilling. (Full review)

 

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Press Start - 9/10

 

Through neoteric ideas around what combat can be, many of which were conceived with Absolver, Sloclap has carried the classic beat 'em up into the present with Sifu. It might be brutal and unforgiving, but it never feels cheap and it's a pleasure to continually learn the complexities of kung fu while bathing in the world's surplus of flair and ferocity. So push through and persevere, because there's one hell of a game on offer here. (Full review)

 

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TechRaptor - 9/10

 

Sifu's a revenge-fueled romp through five spectacular levels combined with a complex and exciting combat system. Just don't get too burned out by the bosses -- they're tough! (Full review)

 

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Game Grin - 9/10

 

A brilliant take on the roguelike genre, Sifu is a game that is hard to beat, but even harder to put down. Timing, patience, and skill will see you to fulfilling your goal and exacting that sweet revenge. (Full review)

 

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Explosion Network - 9/10

 

If you're able to practice your martial arts, breathe in and have patience and persistence, you'll find a deep combat system, rewarding fights, and moments that make you feel like a flawless kung fu master. (Full review)

 

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Cultured Vultures - 9/10

 

A potential GOTY contender already, Sifu is martial arts excellence that'll challenge and delight in equal measure. (Full review)

 

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WayTooManyGames - 9/10

 

Some people will hate its art style, while others will love it. Some people will call it way too punishing and overcomplicated. I may agree that it is a punitive game, but I couldn’t stop playing it. I loved almost everything the game offered me, from its slick graphics and neat storytelling, to the cathartic sensation of clearing an entire room full of goons without losing a single chunk of health. This is a game that will demand a bit more from players, but those who decide to stick with it will be rewarded for their patience. (Full review)

 

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Gaming Trend - 8.5/10

 

Sifu delivers on its promises of being one of the best Kung-Fu games ever made. With incredible animation work, flowing combat, a beautiful art style, and great music; this indie beat-em-up, roguelite game deserves more than the cult following it will probably receive. (Full review)

 

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Worth Playing - 8.5/10

 

If there's anything that might make me hesitate from recommending Sifu to everybody, it's that its difficulty clearly makes it not for everyone. In addition to being a beat-'em-up, it's also a roguelike in some ways, where repeated failure is to be expected and almost embraced. Not everybody is going to be into that, and it's a shame because in addition to all the action, it's got a very cool art style and outstanding soundtrack. It also just "gets" fans of fighting movies and kung-fu. There's a sequence in the game's first level in an abandoned building where the camera perspective shifts from over the shoulder into 2D, left to right, in a nearly spot-on replication of the hallway fight from "Oldboy." You get to fight a hallway full of people; that alone gave me chills and makes the ensuing hardcore, hand-cramping fights to come worth it. Perhaps one of the best compliments I can give to Sifu's essence is this: Playing and improving in this game actually seemed to make me better at other games. What's more kung-fu than that? (Full review)

 

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Push Square - 8/10

 

Sifu doesn't pull any punches. It's a consistently challenging and demanding beat-'em-up, but persistence pays off. You'll be hard pressed to find a more rewarding game on PlayStation - especially one that's so visually striking and polished. Some quibbles with combat mechanics aside, Sifu is a knockout. (Full review)

 

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Infinite Start - 7.5/10

 

If I am being completely honest, Sifu is a lot of fun once you figure out how you’re supposed to play. It takes all the frustrating elements out of the fight in a way that is engaging and exciting. That, coupled with the unique art direction, surreal stages, and small touches help Sifu stand out. It’s just a shame that there doesn’t seem to be an easy way to get it or even an option that might explain some of the mechanics if you fail a number of times or offered through PlayStation Plus like it already offers. Instead, you just get overwhelmed by a boss and slowly watch your age go from 25 to 29 to 34 to 40, killing your ability to finish the game without redoing the fight anyway. (Full review)

 

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Game Informer - 7.3/10

 

Like a 20-year-old combatant, Sifu comes out of the gate strong. Its core combat feels excellent, and the moment-to-moment action looks better than most Hollywood blockbusters. Sadly, as you progress, the action begins to show its teeth and eventually becomes a tiresome grind. Sifu deserves props for its incredible sense of style and tone, but it is also a great example of why growing old isn't always fun. (Full review)

 

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Playstation Universe - 7.5/10

 

Sifu has an extremely high skill ceiling and very deep gameplay, paired wonderfully with stylized visuals and great art. The gameplay is extremely refined, but Sifu's narrative just feels unfinished as a whole, and could have been the difference from Sifu being a lot more than what it is. (Full review)

 

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The Sixth Axis - 4/10

 

Sifu is a game that I wanted to love. I had high hopes for it being one of my game of the year contenders, but it left me feeling intensely deflated instead. It's a game that confuses the precise mechanical difficulty of Sekiro with a forced difficulty brought on by simply giving bosses armour. I find myself irrationally angry with Sifu. Sifu is a game that had exceptional potential, but squandered it on the wrong lessons. (Full review)

 

 

 

Edited February 7, 2022 by Ghost

[Fleks_Mhteam]

I am very hyped for Sifu but despite the really good reviews this game will more than likely refuel the accessibility debate and an experience that was conceived to be difficult and with a steep learning curve will probably get watered down to avoid a shitstorm of entitled whiners that think everything should be delivered on a silver platter.

 

By taking a look at the reviews below 75% it gets obvious that the game was unfortunately panned for its difficult fighting system, the actual core of the game. That would be like bashing hitman because the game has too many stealth elements.

 

We sadly live in a time of video game fastfoodisation where everything needs to be easy, fast and with as less brain usage as possible. I hope Slocap will resist the pressure to install an easy mode or any kind of crutch to make the game more "user friendly".

[Conor]

Sounds good to me, a lot of the negative reception essentially reads as "this isn't the exact game I wanted/ it's too hard" so I'm still very interested in checking it at some point, hopefully there's a physical release down the line

Edited February 6, 2022 by Stan Lee

[Ghost]

Sixth Axis review:
 

"while this game feels like it comes from well-intentioned passion for classic kung fu movies, it’s also one made about a Chinese protagonist by a team with virtually no Chinese people on staff."

 

"I think the composition of the staff means it would have been better suited as a game set in France."

 

  

Edited February 6, 2022 by Ghost

[Deluziion90]

I’m really curious about the platinum. Will it be super hard or not thats the only thing I’m wondering. Still looks very fun!

 

5 minutes ago, Stan Lee said:

Sounds good to me, a lot of the negative reception essentially reads as "this isn't the exact game I wanted/ it's too hard" so I'm still very interested in checking it at some point, hopefully there's a physical release down the line

 

There’s actually a much later steelbook version released. Atleast in my country 

https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/sifu-vengeance-edition-ps5/9300000077012931/?bltgh=jw9Kpo9PaylJW6h6yftMgA.2_13.14.ProductImage

[Ghost]

7 minutes ago, Stan Lee said:

hopefully there's a physical

 

Confirmed for May 3rd - https://www.videogamer.com/news/sifus-physical-vengeance-edition-will-arrive-on-may-3/

[GothGirlMaxine]

6 minutes ago, Stan Lee said:

Sounds good to me, a lot of the negative reception essentially reads as "this isn't the exact game I wanted/ it's too hard" so I'm still very interested in checking it at some point, hopefully there's a physical release down the line

 

There is a physical version coming in early May. I'd say this looks very enticing indeed, given the UK price of £44.99

 

[Admiralvic]

44 minutes ago, Fleks_Mhteam said:

I am very hyped for Sifu but despite the really good reviews this game will more than likely refuel the accessibility debate and an experience that was conceived to be difficult and with a steep learning curve will probably get watered down to avoid a shitstorm of entitled whiners that think everything should be delivered on a silver platter.

 

By taking a look at the reviews below 75% it gets obvious that the game was unfortunately panned for its difficult fighting system, the actual core of the game. That would be like bashing hitman because the game has too many stealth elements.

 

We sadly live in a time of video game fastfoodisation where everything needs to be easy, fast and with as less brain usage as possible. I hope Slocap will resist the pressure to install an easy mode or any kind of crutch to make the game more "user friendly".

 

This is just my two cents on the matter...

 

The issue isn't that Sifu is hard, it's that Sifu doesn't really explain how to play the game "correctly" and instead throws a lot of gate bosses at you. I directly compared it to Monsoon in Metal Gear Rising. For the most part you can brute force enemies and even some of the later stages, but bosses generally require knowing the mechanics and without that you will die and you will die a lot.

 

Things also get dicey beyond this because the age system is in a bad place. If you suck, the age system will destroy you. Losing to a boss four times in a row means you lost 10 years (if my math is correct) and you die at >70. Low skilled people will end up trying to endlessly repeat and replay earlier sections because the age system will eventually make it too hard to progress. For people with high skill, the death system means literally nothing. 

 

I could get into it more, but I really don't want to rereview it.

[Conor]

15 minutes ago, Deluziion90 said:

 

 

15 minutes ago, Ghost said:

14 minutes ago, StygianWolf4 said:

 

 

 

Ah thanks guys, should have looked a little further into this myself! Good stuff!

[Chaos_Bladez]

I loved the game and gave it a high score in my review. I beat it three times before release because I couldn't get enough.

 

It's not gonna click for everyone but I think it's going to click hard for some. 

[GothGirlMaxine]

2 hours ago, Stan Lee said:

Ah thanks guys, should have looked a little further into this myself! Good stuff!

 

I've ended up buying digital deluxe anyway, but since I love physical copies, I gotta grab that too!

[BrandedBerserk]

6 hours ago, Ghost said:

Sixth Axis review:
 

"while this game feels like it comes from well-intentioned passion for classic kung fu movies, it’s also one made about a Chinese protagonist by a team with virtually no Chinese people on staff."

 

"I think the composition of the staff means it would have been better suited as a game set in France."

 

It's at that moment you disregard the entire review and look elsewhere lmfao. So if I'm not Chinese I can't show my love for Kung fu movies and be inspired to create? Just imagine how shit your artistic freedom to create would be if that was the standard.

 

Nice to see this getting great reviews, will pre order once I get home ??.

 

 

[ConAir]

 

I watched this review in the morning (20 minutes). It warns you that it isn't a game for everyone due to the difficulty and the trial/error gameplay of the game. Besides that it might not be a game for you because of the reflexes you should have to beat the enemies. It's a difficult game that contains 5 levels where the challenge lies within improving yourselves each time and take a smaller penalty until you can finish the game while you are still in your twenties. It's another

 

Worth mentioning are the camera issues when the player stands close to a wall. That way you can't always see where your enemy is. SkillUp also mentions the unbreakable combos that come without a warning and you need to recognise to avoid that.

 

Edited February 9, 2022 by ConAir
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